High School Drama Really?
by ViridianOleanderson
Summary: Drifting apart and coming back together. No matter how hard it is for them, somehow they find a way to overcome a fate that wants to tear them apart.
1. Chapter 1: Is it a risk

_High School Drama. Really?_

 **Summary:** Drifting apart and then coming back together. No matter how hard it is for them, somehow they find a way to overcome a fate that wants to tear them apart. Sasuke, Sakurai and Naruko need to overcome the things that keep them apart and realise; that their bond can not be broken. Not even by themselves.

 **Uchiha Madara, _"When a man learns to love, he must bear the risk of hatred."_ **

* * *

_If there was one thing Sakurai knew about himself it was that he was far too delicate. Not physically of course, no male with his strong physique could be considered delicate. But, emotionally._

 _Emotionally he was weak._

 _To everyone else Sakurai Haruno seemed like a very stable individual, a bit of a goofy airhead sometimes, but stable nonetheless. He was sharp, quick-witted and probably a tad bit defensive when it came to his pink hair - but, what guy wouldn't be defensive about having pink hair? He probably came off as an average sixteen-year-old boy going through high school._

 _Yes, an ordinary guy, with a complicated love life._

~xXx~

"C'mon, Sakurai-kun, just one! Please…" Sakurai sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He was tempted to just yell at the girl and stomp away from the nuisance.

"No, Naruko, I already told you." He turned to the blonde girl frowning as he tried to keep his voice from raising, "I don't date."

She always asked him, pestering him for dates every Friday. It used to be every school day but she had stopped when he told her he needed to focus on his studies. Apparently, that excuse had been enough to stop her requests… until Friday came around and the relentless pestering came back with full force.

Naruko's belief was that weekends should be spent having fun and going on dates (with her - as she had so boldly declared), not sitting in the library studying.

Sakurai had never accepted any of her requests, and he didn't plan on accepting them. He just wasn't interested in her. He had never been interested in her, at least not that way.

"Please, Sakurai!" The girl begged trying to seduce him with one of her 'sexy' poses. Her breasts pressed against his bicep as she pulled on his arm, large and soft.

He frowned, "I said no, Naruko. Besides I'm busy this weekend."

"That's not right, you really shouldn't study so much, Sakurai-kun," Naruko whined and her voice had a certain edge to it. Was she… upset? Why? He always rejected her, why would she be upset now?

He was confused, but when he felt a familiar presence he realised why she was being extra persistent today.

Sasuke…

"I'm sorry, Naruko. But the answer's no." Sakurai turned away, wrenching his arm out of the girl's grip and ignoring as she began to rant about how great their non-existent date would be. It didn't matter to him as he marched down the corridor, he knew why she was being so persistent.

It was no secret to him that Naruko only wanted to make Sasuke jealous.

His fists clenched at his sides. For as long as they had known each other Sakurai, Naruko and Sasuke had a complicated relationship. Whereas Sakurai was usually on the sidelines, Sasuke and Naruko were competing against one another. Fighting, competing or just yelling, the two were always at each other's throats. Sakurai would usually have to defuse the situation before one of them ended up in a hospital or in prison (depending on the day maybe even dead), having to push aside Naruko's feministic outbursts and look away from Sasuke's venomous glares.

It was worrying as hell but he didn't mind it most of the time. At the end of every fight and competition they were all still friends, and that was enough for him.

But as they grew older things began to change.

Sasuke became more distant, Naruko became more feminine and Sakurai tried to understand why his friends were suddenly _not_ being friends.

When they were 14, just new in high school, Sakurai noticed things about Naruko changing. She was still the same in personality, but her attitude had changed. She acted like one of those girls Ino-chan would tell him about. She dressed scantily, with short skirts and tight shirts, her hair shinier than his own, and even makeup (although it was only a little). Whenever she talked to someone she would sometimes flirt with them. She even developed her own way of walking - swaying her hips and swinging her ponytails around like there was some ethereal breeze that only she could feel.

At the beginning Sakurai believed that she was just experimenting, getting into that high school spirit thing that people (Ino-chan) talked about. But then he noticed the other things, like how she would sometimes blush and look his way, her eyes glimmering strangely. Or how she would grab his arm and press against him - getting uncomfortably close in a way that Sakurai had to restrain himself from shoving her off. Her flirting became more and more common sometimes and as she charmed the male who stood in front of her Sakurai would sometimes catch her eyes looking his way.

It took a while until he realised that it wasn't him she would look at.

It was Sasuke.

He didn't know when he figured it out, but eventually, Sakurai realised that Naruko's feelings towards her rival had changed. That some time during the months between their second year of middle school and their first year at high school, Naruko had developed a crush on Sasuke.

 _He couldn't bear to call it love._

He was almost broken when he figured it out, not because he was in love with Naruko - Heavens knew that would be so much easier to deal with - but because he also loved Sasuke.

 _He couldn't bear to call it a crush. A feeling so intense could only be love._

He never acted on his feelings, not once, he didn't want to lose his friendship with Sasuke so he made sure to hide it well. It was enough for him just to be close to the other boy. But seeing Naruko so aggressive in her attempts to gain Sasuke's attention stressed him.

What if Sasuke chooses to reciprocate her feelings and they start a relationship?

He couldn't stand the thought, his mind plagued with images and scenarios of Sasuke and Naruko deeply in love, sharing kisses and walking down the hall arm in arm while he tailed along helplessly. Torturing him with their love.

Sakurai had no doubt, if he were a girl he would be competing against Naruko for Sasuke's attention. Like how Ino-chan fought against them. But for him Ino-chan was a sort of exception, he loved her too much to hate her for loving the man that he also happened to be in love with.

He also saw her as less of a threat than Naruko. But sometimes she would join the mental torment his mind would sometimes come up with, the torment that involved Sasuke and his desire for blued-eyed-blonde-haired girls.

He shivered hiking his school bag up his shoulder, it was best not to think about those sort of things. They did bad things to his heart. Things he couldn't handle unless he was shovelling Amitsu down his throat.

"Sakurai!" The very object of his thoughts called his name and Sakurai automatically responded, the word slipping through his lips before he can stop it.

"Sasuke-kun." He had always used the suffix, it was nothing strange since they were friends.

Naruko scoffed behind the handsome teen, looking off to the side with an annoyed expression. Sakurai guessed she had just been scolded by Iruka-sensei or one of the other teachers for yelling in the corridor - Iruka-sensei seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to Naruko's antics.

"We have training this weekend, make sure you get there," Sasuke said sternly, he looked a little haggard Sakurai noticed. Like he hadn't been sleeping well.

He gazed into onyx eyes a little longer than necessary before replying, "Training?" He repeated cluelessly, flinching when Sasuke growled, "Oh, right, basketball." Sakurai internally screamed. He had completely forgotten about basketball training, too busy helping his parents in the bakery and assisting Shizune-sensei at the reception desk.

Why did he even play basketball? Sure, he was good at it but it wasn't really a passion of his. He didn't take sports as seriously as Sasuke or Ino-chan did. But then he remembered the desperate look in his Sasuke's eyes when he told him the team centre had dropped out and they were losing members.

" _Okaa-san says I'll have to drop out of the team as well if we don't find a centre by October."_

He couldn't stop himself from volunteering to help back then. Offering to join the basketball team just so Sasuke would stop looking so crazed and stressed out, he even took up the role of team manager because the last manager had already graduated and she didn't leave any sort of replacement.

Sakurai had dedicated what time he could to basketball, but this weekend he had forgotten they had training.

Sasuke seemed to realise that because his eyes hardened to give him that stormy glare, "Did you forget?"

"Um, uh, no..?"

"Sakurai!"

"I'm sorry!" Sakurai exclaimed, "I kind of promised Maman I would help in her the bakery on Saturday, we just got in this huge order and it needs to be finished by Sunday morning for a wedding." He defended himself, it was true late orders were common during the winter season. People liked the idea of white weddings.

"What about on Sunday?" Sasuke asked his arms folded over his chest, he was getting annoyed Sakurai could tell. "We have a second training session after 12, can you make it then?"

Sakurai had to think about for a moment, if Père made the delivery to the wedding reception then he could probably make it. But if he had to make the delivery himself there was no guarantee that he wouldn't stick around. He loved wedding receptions, and the couple had actually invited him as a way to repent for the trouble they were putting the bakery through.

He would just have to try and convince Père to make the delivery.

"I think I can make it." He assured nodding, looking over at Naruko he nodded, "Yeah, I'll probably get there."

"You better. You've missed most of our practices this month. The coach is considering kicking you out of the team if you keep slacking off." Sasuke informed him with a casual air.

"What?!" Both Sakurai and Naruko exclaimed. Sakurai out of shock and Naruko out of indignation.

"Why would he do that? Sakurai-kun is one of the best players in the entire team, he's even better than you! Why would he kick him out?!" Naruko demanded with her hands on her hips, she knew that Sakurai's position on the basketball team was important so it didn't make sense to her at all. Why would they kick out one of their best players?

Sasuke rolled his eyes at her and began walking, moving their conversation down the hall. "You've been skipping training, and you've been slack in some of our practice matches. The coach is worried you might start pulling down the team if this keeps going. It's a logical choice to kick you out if you're not going to give it your all in the game." He delivered with blunt honesty.

To be expected. Sasuke was never one to beat around the bush. Especially when it came to sports.

Sakurai was in near despair. He was going to be kicked off the basketball team?! What kind of decision was that? He couldn't comprehend the fact that it was - as Sasuke said - the more logical choice. But, still! He couldn't stop playing basketball, it was one of the few times he and Sasuke could actually hang out together without anyone else interfering.

Basketball was his source of intimacy with Sasuke!

"If he does kick me off the team what will happen then?" He mumbled more to himself than either of his friends. Would the team be alright without him, he wondered?

"Asuma might bring that kid Sora onto the team to replace you. He's been showing up at some of our training sessions."

If Sakurai were in a level space of mind he would have heard the bitterness in Sasuke's tone. The contempt he held towards Sora leaking into his tone.

"Sora? That kid from the temple outside of town? Really?" Naruko asked grimacing, "Isn't he, like, some sort of monk? What good could he be?"

"No… Sora's small, but he's strong. He would probably make a better centre than I would…" Sakurai released an aura of depression as he slumped. The idea of being replaced didn't sit well with him. He didn't want anyone taking his place on the team but he knew a tough opponent when he saw one.

"Oi." Sakurai looked up and felt a sudden throbbing on his head when Sasuke took advantage of his mood to hit him.

"Ow! Wh- what did you do that for?!" He cried out in dismay, his hands raised to rub at the bump forming in his hair. Never let it be said that Sasuke is not a hard hitter.

"Stop moping. It's gross." Sasuke scolded harshly, his arms folded over his chest as he glared down at him. "If you show up at training on Sunday everything should be fine."

"Yeah, Sakurai-kun!" Naruko chimed in, she gave him one of her sparkly thumbs-up poses and added with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "Then when you show everyone who's boss we can go on a date together!"

Sakurai stared, stunned into silence by the girl's decree, before he burst into laughter. Sasuke scolding her in the background only heightened his joy. It was like they were still 12 and best friends all over again.

"Hey," He spoke up once he regained his composure, grinning broadly he swung his arm s around the both of them, "How about we go and get something to eat? My treat."

"Yeah! All right. Sakurai-kun's treat, yeah? I'm in!" Naruko exclaimed, the prospect of free food turning her irritation to joy in an instant.

"..." Sasuke looked away in silence.

Sakurai frowned, "Sasuke-kun?" He asked unsurely. Is he still...

"... Fine. Anything but dango. I can't stand that stuff."

~xXx~

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Meet my new Genderbend cast of _**High School Drama. Really?**_ With Male!Sakura, Female!Naruto and just regular Sasuke. With the Romance, Friendship and Drama, that comes with being Team 7 in a High School AU.

I want to point out this was made purely because the lack of Sasusaku Yaoi fics was frustrating me, I mean, spread out, expand your ways, people! Explore the possibilities! It's not that bad, and this isn't even my first Sasusaku Yaoi fic (my others will be staying with me until I decide whether or not they're ready for public view, one of them just feels way too dark for an audience other than myself).

I also want to point out that in order to write this I needed to re-familiarize myself with writing about same-sex relationships, so I went to a place were homosexuality reigns supreme.

I went back to Hetalia! But, I'm not going back into the Fandom, that place is kind of terrifying.

Read and enjoy - or not, your choice.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or it's characters, this is Fanfiction. Fan. Fiction.


	2. Chapter 2: The accused

_High School Drama. Really._

~xXx~

* * *

 _When Naruko was 6 years old she made a vow that she would become the strongest woman in all of Japan. She didn't know how she was going to do it, but, she knew, that no matter what it took she would make it happen._

 _And then she met Sasuke._

 _The boy was annoying, everybody liked him and all of the other girls turned into dingy airheads whenever they saw him. It was disgusting to the American girl. How could they adore that guy when he was so-so stuck up! She didn't get it!_

 _So she decided that if she could beat Sasuke then she would really become the best. No longer just the strongest woman, but, the strongest person in all of Japan. Since she was only 7 at the time she believed wholeheartedly that defeating Sasuke was enough to reach the top._

 _It would be easy._

 _It wasn't easy._

 _At the age of 10, Naruko realised that Sasuke was the hardest person she had ever tried to beat. And she had tried to beat a lot of people._

 _He won at everything. Always beating her no matter what it was. And, even when she attacked him in a blind fury of fists she had still lost to him, while she came away with a bruise on her cheek and split lip - because Sasuke realised that she wasn't going to hold back from hurting him and restraining himself would just make her angrier, he returned her punches and kicks - Sasuke only had a scratch along his cheek that didn't even bleed._

 _It made her so angry, especially when Sakurai-kun would scold her because she - as he claimed - was always stirring up trouble._

 _It wasn't like she wanted to get into trouble… She just wanted to prove that she was strong, even if she was a girl. Women could be strong too!_

 _It was when she turned 12 when things started changing, she started changing._

 _Iruka-sensei had called it 'puberty' and, apparently, it was perfectly natural, something that happened in all kids. Naruko had called it weird. All of a sudden her body was changing, her chest grew breasts (quite large breasts if she did say so herself) and she started feeling things, things she hadn't felt before when it came to boys._

 _Not to mention the blood. Ugh. That had been the most terrifying of them all. She legitimately believed she was going to die when she saw the specks of blood staining her underwear, going straight to Iruka-sensei in tears. He had taken her to one of the female staff at the academy and had her explain it all to the terrified young girl who thought her life was in danger._

 _All of that aside Naruko realised that from that day on she couldn't keep on living the way she used to._

 _Insecurity rose in her blood._

 _Heat made itself known in all parts of her body, especially when she was around boys._

 _And her emotions were an absolute mess._

 _One minute she was hot, the next, cold. Happy, then sad. Scared, then angry. It all became a tumbling turmoil of whirling feelings that never seemed to cease._

 _And it all went further downhill when she noticed Sasuke._

 _Even though she always knew that Sasuke was pretty - it was one of the reasons she disliked him so much - she had never actually considered him to be a boy - or maybe she just saw herself as one of the guys? But after puberty struck, it was like he was the only boy on the face of the Earth! And she wanted him._

 _She wanted him to be hers…_

 _And by the gods, she would have him._

 _It was only a matter of time._

~xXx~

"You know, if you weren't always so mean to him Sakurai-kun would go to your dumb training sessions more often." Naruko divulged swinging her legs.

Across from her Sasuke sat on a lone stool measuring some kind of red liquid into beakers. His dark eyes narrowed as he focused on their shared assignment that she had no intention of participating in. After all, she didn't know much about science and Sasuke always took over whenever they had to partner together in a class.

She would never admit that she likes watching him work. He was always so concentrated and focused. With his perfectly symmetrical features and smooth skin…

It made her hot just thinking of all the things she could do to him.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," Sasuke said his fingers flexed as he reached for his pen. "It's beneficial for the team to show up to every training session. He shouldn't let his own insecurities interfere with that."

Naruko pursed her lips, "Right… And you're not just annoyed because that test tube has a hole in it." She sniped pointing at the cracked test tube that sat to the side. She had dropped it when they entered the classroom, making Sasuke angry and causing him to banish her from the bench.

"Like I said," Sasuke emphasised glaring at her, "It doesn't matter. He's holding everyone back because he doesn't show up to training. He needs to be responsible, that's all there is to say to it."

Naruko thought about this for a moment, tapping her cheek as she mulled over the boy's words. Maybe. Could it be that it was actually the other way around? Maybe Sakurai didn't know when they had training, maybe that's why he didn't show up so often.

Without realising it she had voiced her thoughts.

"That's impossible," Sasuke said, startling the girl. "He has the schedule and I always remind him." He insisted wiping his hands off on a paper towel. Naruko noticed his knuckles were wrapped in bandages.

"Eh, then maybe the other boys are bullying him." Naruko concluded sounding incredibly sure of herself. "It wouldn't be the first time. Sakurai-kun's such a gloomy guy after all." She giggled as images of a sulking Sakurai-kun filled her mind. He always looked so cute when he moped like that.

But, she liked it better when he smiled.

"..."

When Sasuke made no reply Naruko looked up at him. His shoulders were tense and he wasn't moving. She looked back down at his hands noticing that they were clenching around the paper towel. His eyes, especially, held a far-off vacant emotion in them.

' _No way…'_ She thought, utterly horrified as her mind formed a new hypothesis. ' _Is Sasuke…'_

Suddenly filled with rage her hand shot out and slapped him across the face. Making the whole class go still and drawing everyone's attention to the pair.

"Naruko! What the Hell -"

"Sasuke, you bastard!" The enraged blonde screamed at the top of her lungs. "How could you do that?!"

"What the Hell are you on about?!" Sasuke shouted in return, getting angry himself. "I haven't done anything, you dead-last moron!"

"YOU'VE BEEN BULLYING SAKURAI-KUN, HAVEN'T YOU! THAT'S WHY HE HASN'T BEEN HANGING OUT WITH US!" She accused him with absolute certainty, making the entire class let out gasps, but she ignored them.

 _How dare he…_

It all made sense now. Why Sakurai-kun was always avoiding her. Why he didn't accept any of her dates. And why he always looked so twitchy around Sasuke. It was because Sasuke was abusing him!

Well, she wouldn't allow it any longer! Sakurai-kun was her best friend, and she would kill anyone who hurt him.

 _Even Sasuke._

"Are you insane?!" Sasuke snapped when he regained his composure, his cheek stung from the slap. It was more painful than a punch in his opinion. "I haven't done anything do Sakurai, you Nut!"

' _Oh, so he's trying to play innocent, huh?'_

"Then explain those bandages on your hand." She pointed at the white wrappings around his knuckles. "You've been beating up Sakurai-kun!"

Sasuke looked down at his hand then back at her with an expression of pure incredulity. "You… IMBECILE!"

With a blur of white and orange, the two lunged at one another, tumbling to the ground in a flurry of screams and harsh accusations. Students screamed as they leapt out of the way of the fighting pair and the teacher tried to separate them with no success.

"Somebody call Kakashi-sensei. Now!" The woman shouted at her students and cried out when an elbow slammed into her jaw.

 _Jesus Christ,_ she really hated this job.

~xXx~

Kakashi lounged on the soft bench in his office reading one of his favourite books and feeding himself potato chips.

It was a day of relaxation. With no problems because it was Monday, the beginning of the week, and nobody wanted to cause trouble on their 1st day back at school.

 _Yes~_ No responsibilities for the school Councillor today.

" _Forlorn, Junko fell to her knees, 'I'm losing you,' she says. 'And so, I am losing myself.'_ \- Hehehe." He giggled reading aloud. He munched on a potato chip, wiping away the crumbs with his thumb. "What will you do now, Chiaki?"

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

His sensitive ears picked up the sound of heels on the hard flooring outside his door. He prayed they weren't coming for him, but, alas, his impeccable mind concluded that they were, indeed, about to burst into his office. Slowly he lifted his mask back over his face and sat up, just as the door swung open and banged on the wall.

He would have sighed. 'Who in the world could be causing trouble on the 1st day back at school?'

"Kakashi-sensei," The student gasped, clearly out of breath from running. "It's N-Naruko and Sasuke-kun! They're fighting in the Chemistry Lab!"

And suddenly it all made sense. "Of course… It couldn't be anyone else but them…" He muttered in exasperation. Those two ridiculous students of his, you'd think they'd learn by now, being in a school and all.

He stood up and strode leisurely past the huffing student, "Those two are such a bother. Well, we better go and see who's going to the nurse's office this time."

~xXx~

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Well, here's a little peek into Naruko's background, not very informative for what I wanted to show but, it does display Naruko's life goals. She's going to be a strong woman who can do anything she wants!


	3. Chapter 3: Intercepting

_High School Drama. Really._

~xXx~

* * *

"You have got to be joking."

"No, she's very serious."

"Sasuke, please. It's Naruko's turn to speak, you have to wait until you have Pakkun to talk."

"Che, whatever. Just so you know, she's nuts."

"Shut up, you abusive sicko!"

"Children." Kakashi internally groaned as the two began to bicker once more. It had taken 15 minutes to stop their fight, half an hour to cool them down, and 23 minutes to get them to sit in his office without screaming at each other and talk over their problems. Suffice to say he was beyond tired today. He just… wanted to stuff them in a bag and toss them in the river, then, when their bodies reached the ocean it would be an infamous mystery and a very peaceful day.

 _For him at least._

"Sasuke, shut your mouth." He ordered the snarling child, "Naruko, please continue. What happened after you accused Sasuke?"

Sticking her tongue out at Sasuke Naruko folded her arms over her chest, pressing the fluffy stuffed animal to her stomach. "He denied it."

"I see. So that's how it went." Kakashi didn't think he needed to ask what happened next. It was already obvious to him what the girl's reaction would be.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruko nodded vigorously. "But, I knew he was lying. Yeah. See." She stabbed her finger at Sasuke's hands that were gripping the sides of his chair. Kakashi raised an eyebrow unsure of what she was trying to point out. "He has bandages on his hands!" She screeched as though that answered everything.

"Why would he have bandages on his hands if he hasn't been beating up Sakurai-kun?"

Sasuke growled and it was clear he wanted to say something, something harsh and cruel, but Kakashi's hard glare kept him quiet. He was so sick of this dead-brained loser and her idiotic delusions! _How long would he have to put up with this?_

"Now, now, Naruko," Kakashi eased, "I'm pretty sure we've talked about jumping to conclusions before. Do you remember, what we talked about that day you thought Gai was an escaped-convict and attacked him in front of the whole school?"

"But, Sasuke-"

"Probably has a very legitimate reason for wrappings his hands in bandages." Kakashi interrupted, his fingers steepled as his gaze swept over the two students. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Naruko huffed and scowled at the wall. However, she made no attempt to protest so he took that as compliance.

"Good." Kakashi nodded looking back at Sasuke. "Now, Sasuke, would you like to explain to Naruko why your hands are wrapped in bandages?"

His answer was a cold glare and a scoff before Sasuke yanked the stuffed dog out of Naruko's hands and jabbed it in the Councillor's direction.

"You already know why I have to wear them!" He snapped.

Kakashi sighed, was he even listening to him? "Yes, I do, but, Naruko, here, does not. So explain to her why you have to wear the bandages." He emphasised sounding incredibly exasperated. These children were just so tiring.

 _Too tiring._

"Fine! I split the skin on my knuckles when I was punching the walls behind the Art Studio." Sasuke snarled practically spitting at them. His agitating was rising with every moment they were there, he could tell.

"What?! That's a lie!" Naruko jumped from her seat.

"Naruko, sit down. You've had your turn, now it's time for Sasuke to speak." Kakashi was close to growling, maybe he should just send them home for the rest of the day… _But, would that solve anything?_ Probably not. He knew these two, and they weren't the type to just let bygones be bygones. _Having the misfortune if teaching them so long taught him that._

"Sasuke, continue."

"I split my knuckles and _you_ ," He emphasised glaring at him, "Made me go to the Nurse's office to have them _treated_." He said the word like it was some sort of curse. A stain on his perfect reputation. _What would people say if they heard that Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Fuji's son, had been seen punching walls at school? It would be a scandal fueled by speculation and bitterness!_

"There. Do you see now, Naruko? Sasuke hasn't been bullying Sakurai and no one is to blame for his 'moodiness' except himself."

Kakashi was glad to finally have put an end to this situation. Honestly, he didn't understand these kids nowadays. Especially when they fought for such ridiculous reasons. He's always known Sakurai to a little broody, and it did worry him from time to time but the child had never let it affect his performance before so he chose to just let it slide. But, if the situation had come so far that Naruko suspected Sakurai was being abused by Sasuke maybe it was time he had a little one-on-one chat with him.

 _Just to clear the air._

"But, what about Sakurai-kun?" Naruko pouted looking at him with those wide blue eyes of hers. "He's been acting weird. Like, really weird. Not just Sakurai-weird. Do you think he's alright?"

Despite Naruko's constant tough girl act, she was, in reality, a very clingy friend. She didn't like having the people she cared about suffer in silence. Kakashi guessed it was something she had developed due to her own childhood, this innate desire to make sure everyone else was as happy as they could be.

"Sakurai's not an idiot. He's fine." Sasuke said. "And if he isn't, he knows where to find us."

"..."

Kakashi didn't know how to respond to that. Something about Sasuke's tone caught him off-guard, and he couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. He was confused.

Was that resentment that he heard? Maybe it was annoyance? Were Sakurai and Sasuke fighting about something? Was Naruko right in worrying about Sakurai's behaviour? He just couldn't fathom the idea of Sasuke hurting Sakurai. The two had been best friends since they were 9! And - _aside from their contained sparring matches_ \- the two never displayed any violent tendencies between one another.

Their friendship was one of the most stable. It was probably right at the top of the list, just below Shikaru's and Choji's everlasting camaraderie.

He frowned to himself, thinking. _Perhaps he would have to talk to Sakurai a lot sooner than he had planned._

"Kaka-sensei?"

"Hmm." Kakashi looked up to see both of his students giving him odd stares. _Damn_. So lost in thought he had completely forgotten they were there.

"Are you alright? You were making that creepy face again… It was really weird." Naruko's nose scrunched up in that cute way it did whenever she was thinking of something unpleasant.

He nodded, giving them a smile neither could see. "I'm fine. This will be the end of today's little session, so you two can head off to class." He said waving them off. Naruko cheered and jumped out of her seat bouncing towards the door.

"But, don't forget you both have lunchtime and after school detention for the rest of the month, so be sure to get there. Stay out of trouble, and. _No. More. Fighting_."

The hard expression in his eyes would have scared a lot of people, but not these two. They had seen Kakashi's death glare far too many times to feel even the least bit intimidated by him. In fact, Naruko grinned and stuck her tongue out at him, while Sasuke rolled his eyes and flipped his middle finger at the man before both vacated his office.

It stung Kakashi's pride but he let it go. His students were insubordinate, but, much to his own dismay, that was one of the things he loved about them.

None of them, not Naruko, not Sasuke, not Sakurai, were willing to bow down to anyone. _They lived their own way, independent and alive, striving to reach their goals and achieve their greatest dreams._

At least, that's what he hoped they were doing, otherwise, he'd believe he was a bad teacher who never amounted to anything.

That was not something Kakashi wanted.

~xXx~


	4. Chapter 4, Part One: We watch

High School Drama. Really?

~xXx~

* * *

 _It was normal for him, he supposed, the weight of three sacks of flour on his shoulders was something he had steadily grown accustomed too over the years. He shifted, heaving the second sack a little higher so he could balance the third, his arms ached but, he endured. These were the last sacks and then he'd finish packaging the newly baked pastries his mother had prepared earlier._

 _It was a long morning of hard work and Sakurai felt like he was already covered in sweat. Which was horrible since he lived and worked in a Bakery._

" _Sakurai, darling, hurry up with that flour, we need it quickly!" The voice of his mother called down to him._

 _He huffed moving to ascend the stairs, "I'm coming, Maman!" He shouted, wishing that they didn't keep the flour so far back in the cellar, it was so inconvenient. Especially since he was the one who had to restock all the time._

" _And when you're done with those go and help your father pack the truck! We need those goods delivered before noon, do you understand, young man!"_

" _Yes, Maman."_

" _Good. Now hurry up. Too much time down there will turn you into a ghost."_

 _Sakurai blanched when he heard his mother's loud giggle. Laughing at her own bad jokes. Haha, funny… He rolled his eyes at the woman's horrible sense of humour and climbed the stairs into the pantry, heaving the sacks of flour onto the shelves he stripped off his apron and rushed outside._

" _Père, are you out here?"_

" _Over here, Sakurai!"_

 _His father's blond head popped around the corner of the truck, that weird section of hair that usually fell over his forehead was held back by a series of black and purple hair clips, for a moment Sakurai imagined Ino-chan standing in front of his beloved Père, scolding him for his horrible fashion. It was an amusing thought that made him smirk on the inside._

" _I just finished packing the truck. The keys are inside, you can take them to the Gardens now." Kizashi wiped his hands on the front of his apron, a small smile of approval on his lips and patted his shoulder. "Make sure you don't run any red lights. I won't be having a criminal for a son, you hear me."_

 _Sakurai froze, staring at the truck for a few moments. His mind was racing. It was almost 11:30 and he needed to get to basketball practice by 12, he couldn't be late. Sasuke-kun had been very thorough in his warning that if he were late… well… bad things would happen. He turned just as his father opened the door to the bakery, clapping his hands together._

" _Père, wait."_

 _His father stopped, looking back at him with confusion. His tongue stuck out of his mouth as he formed what he would say. A smooth explanation as to why he couldn't make the delivery today because he had to go to basketball practice. That was what he would he say…_

 _It isn't what he said…_

 _In a moment of brilliant word association Sakurai lost his nerves, and instead what came out of his mouth was; "I've gotta go to basketball practice. Can you make the delivery for me instead? Thanks! I'll be back at 6! Bye! I love you. Don't let Maman cook!" And he ran from that alley before his father could even blink. A pink blur wearing a white (with cherry blossoms printed in pink dye) apron that whizzed down the block._

 _It was a rush. A fierce adrenaline that pumped through his veins and made him want to laugh._

 _He didn't stop running until he reached the Academy Gym, twelve blocks away from the Haruno Bakery._

~xXx~

Sakurai knows that Sasuke isn't gay. He's always known this, but, still, it doesn't stop him from loving him as intensely as he does.

There were times in his life when he wished he could stop. Stop and turn his affections to someone else. Because loving Sasuke is painful. It hurts so much. But, he doesn't stop, because no one else is able to erase the love he has for Sasuke from his mind. He's actually debated, long and hard, about his feelings. Analysed them thoroughly and has even consulted with Ino-chan the possibilities of forgetting a first love (she, of course, doesn't notice that he's in love with another boy, Sakurai makes sure that she doesn't even suspect it. As much as he trusts her, he doesn't want his sexual-preference to become public knowledge, he wants his life to be as private as possible).They never really got an answer, but, Sakurai felt that even if they had his feelings for Sasuke would stay the same.

He thinks of what others would say if they knew about the way he felt and chuckles when he realises it would probably turn into a great big mess if his friends were to feel things the way he did. He can already see their answers in his mind, visualises each of them as they confess.

Ino-chan would call it loyalty and smile, _because she's always been the faithful one, so optimistic and honest with her heart_.

Naruko would call it dumb, _because she can't focus on being the best if she has to worry about such a stupidly, boring thing as love._

Shikaru would probably call it troublesome, _which wouldn't be much of a surprise, as she thinks everything is troublesome, but, maybe being in love would just be too painful to face for her?_

But Sakurai thinks it's surreal, _because it's love and it's everything he's always wanted to know so he can't bring himself to hate it._ Which is dumb and troublesome, because how far has he fallen that he now thinks that loving Sasuke is worth the pain he experiences?

 _Maybe that's where Ino-chan's loyalty falls in…_

"Oi, quit your daydreaming and hurry up. We have laps that need running." Sasuke scowls at him from where he is on the court. His hair stuck to his forehead and bouncing an orange basketball from one hand to the other. Everyone else is still running around the gym, heaving in much needed air and some are even glaring at the large Uchiha fan printed on the top player's back. Sasuke's always been the fastest on the team, completing tasks before everyone else. Which made him a huge source of jealousy for everybody.

Sakurai rolled his eyes and huffed, "What? More running? I just ran, like, 10 blocks to get here!" He whined stretching on the bench. "Sensei! Can't I skip this exercise? Please." He asks trying to avoid looking at Sasuke. He knows that if he were to get too close he would be able to smell the ash of Sasuke's natural scent. Ash and pine, a strange combination that disturbingly suited him.

He looks to their coach, Asuma-sensei, a rather large man who sometimes reminds Sakurai of a grizzly bear, who had been coaching the basketball team since freshman year. And even though it's obvious that he would rather be doing something else (Sakurai sometimes hears him muttering under his breath about how he could be relaxing in the gardens or playing shogi with Shikaru whenever he's late for training) he's never let the team down, pushing them to their limits and encouraging them to try better.

He's also, for some reason that can't be fathomed, incredibly cruel to the young pink-haired member of his team.

"No excuses, Sakurai! Go put on your uniform and get in line with the rest of the team!"

Sakurai groaned muttering to his friend from beneath his hands, "Why's he always so mean? I swear he hates me sometimes."

"Well, that's your own fault. If you showed up more often-"

"He wouldn't get mad at me." Sakurai finished groaning into his hands. "I know, Sasuke-kun, you tell me this all the time."

"If you stopped coming late I wouldn't have to tell you." Sakurai missed the wicked smirk the crossed his lips. "You're almost like Kakashi now."

Hearing those words Sakurai flew into a hysteric panic. _That was not funny. Not. At. All._ He shivered suddenly feeling cold. It was fair to say that one of his greatest fears in life was becoming like Hatake Kakashi. The man was lazy, he always tried to skip out on his job, he was always late, and he never - _never_ \- took things seriously. He could write an entire book about the old man's flaws - _no_ , actually, one book wouldn't be enough. _He'd need an entire series to convey Kakashi's many, many imperfections._

He grimaces, face twisting in disgust. _How dare he compare me to that man!_ He glared at his best friend, trying to convey how much he hates him at that moment. _You… images of rage and eternal suffering float sweetly through his mind. Images he welcomes and entertains with various animals and a thick set of chains -_

"Tch."

A strange sound, something between a snicker and a nasally chuckle cut through Sakurai's thoughts. His gaze flew back to Sasuke who had a large - _for him_ \- grin on his face. His dark eyes crinkled at the corners and his alabaster skin practically glowing.

Sakurai's thoughts vanish from existence, so entranced by Sasuke's smile he almost slips. Cheeks warm and feeling awkward all of a sudden, he forces his gaze away, reprimanding himself with every second his eyes linger. _It cannot be_. He reminds himself and that is enough to cool the hot rush of blood flowing through his body.

 _It cannot be._ Three simple words and his mood drops.

"Sakurai? What's the matter?"

He ignores the question shaking his head, "Nothing. I'm going to go and get changed." He mutters and heads back to his locker. His chest hurts now.

 _He'll never love you like you love him._

He doesn't notice as Sasuke frowns at his back. Suspicious and observing. Sharp eyes narrowing as he disappears through the door.

' _Just accept it, Sakurai: You're doomed.'_

~xXx~

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

This chapter was originally a lot shorter but I added more to it. Hence, the lack of... something - I don't know what it is but I feel like I forgot something. I 'll probably remember later and add it to one of the future chapters. Also I want to inform you that the previous two chapters happened before the first chapter. So it's sort of like a flashback, I forgot to add this in before and for that I apologise for any sort of confusion it may have caused.

 _Thank you and enjoy - or don't, your choice._


	5. Chapter 4, Part Two: We listen

_High School Drama. Really?_

~xXx~

* * *

He sighed, wiping the side of his face and stuffed his foot into his sneaker. He had spent at least 2 minutes with his head against one of the lockers (not his own) trying to get his thoughts into line. It didn't really work the way he wanted it too, but he was able to suppress most of the urges that had been rising in him when he saw Sasuke.

 _Thank God for that!_ The sexual tension was not good on a basketball court, that was something he had to keep reminding himself.

Finally able to fit his heel into the faded red sneaker that he needed to replace, Sakurai quickly tied the laces, testing if they were tight enough before grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head. He felt a lot calmer now. Not as hysterical or tense as he did before but, maybe, a little lighter than he had been. Maybe he would be able to get through practice without any sort of incident - _whether it be personal or sport related_ \- and get to impress Asuma-sensei.

"Sakurai!" He heard someone shout his name and run into to the locker room, "Coach says you need to get out on the court! Come on!" The boy said before bounding back through the doors. He was so fast Sakurai didn't even get a close look at him. He just stood there clueless with one arm stuck in the sleeve of his shirt and the other on his head, holding his long pink hair in his fist.

' _Whaaat?'_

It took a while for the words to register in his head and when they did he was thrown into a frenzy. Hands flying to fix his uniform and tie up his hair at the same time, he stumbled for a minute, and burst into the Gym in perfect conditions - except for the few strands of hair that fell out of his ponytail - and jogged onto the court.

He was needed.

~xXx~

After the conversation with Kaka-sensei and Sasuke Naruko had decided to take matters into her own hands. For now, she would believe that Sasuke wasn't hurting Sakurai-kun (although she did still consider him a suspect). But, that didn't change the fact that he been acting weird. _Weirder_ , she corrected. She just couldn't accept that he was okay.

She knew Sakurai, she knew him better than most (maybe not as well as that bitch Ino or Sasuke, but, damn it, she knew him) and she knew that this was definitely not something that would just go away. No matter what Kaka-sensei said, she would not stand to the side while her dear Sakurai-kun could be in danger.

He was her friend! She would not abandon him to be on his own! All alone in the cruel world, vulnerable to the evils society presented. She would protect him! And then they would take over Japan together! Okay… Maybe, not that last part, since she knew Sakurai-kun was a bit too ditzy to conquer a nation, but, you get the picture. She would look after him, no matter what.

That's why she was here, sitting under the bleachers, spying on the basketball team training sessions. At her side was Hinata Hyūga, a boy from her Homeroom class who she had run into on the way to school. Together they had set up a small operating system (they laid their jackets on the ground and were using Hinata's laptop as a makeshift light so they didn't have to sit in the dark) under the bleachers and spied on the basketball team through the cracks.

It was dusty and stank of body odour, but, Naruko endured, after all, she had smelt much, much worse in her apartment. She held a pair of cheap binoculars in her hands squinting as boys she barely recognised ran around the court in squares.

' _Pfft… How boring. Why does Sasuke even like this? Stupid boy. He should do things that are more fun.'_ She thought to herself as she saw the very subject of her thoughts run pass, his toned legs pumping as he moved ahead of the other boys.

"Hmm, I don't see Sakurai-kun anywhere." She muttered and frowned. This wasn't right. When they went out to eat on Friday Sasuke said that they had basketball practice, so where was Sakurai? She scowled, something was going on. Maybe he was in trouble and instead of coming to practice - _like he was supposed to be_ \- some lousy bastard had snatched him off the street and sold him on the Black Market.

Poor Sakurai-kun! He was so pretty too. Some sleazy rich-skank would definitely buy him and make him her slave. Then what? Sakurai would be forced to do dirty things with that bitch and ruin his innocence… He would be reduced to nothing but a mindless sex-slave who walked around with shackles and collar with a cherry blossom on the tag!

"Maybe he's late?" Hinata whispered, and if it weren't for the isolation of the bleachers Naruko wouldn't have heard him. "I-I mean… he works a-at his parents' bakery… R-right?" He stammered unused to having her stare at him with such intensity.

Naruko blinked, the swirling pool of images that featured a naked sex-slave Sakurai draining from her mind. ' _Yeah… that's right. Sakurai-kun has to work.'_ She raked through her thoughts, thinking back to their meal at Kai's Diner…

" _It's not hard, you know. You just have to hold the stick on the tip of your fingers and tilt the ring so it doesn't fall."_

" _You mean like this?"_

" _Hahaha. No - like this, see?"_

" _Oh, I get it now. So just like this, right?"_

" _Yeah, that's it."_

" _Tch, if you have time to mess around with sticks you should show up to practice once in a while."_

" _Oh, come on, Sasuke-kun, I thought we already moved past this. I have to help Maman at the Bakery…"_

" _Yeah, I heard you, but, does it look like I care? Just skip it or something."_

" _What? I can't do that! I promise I'll try to make it. I'll be there around 12:30 or 1, how's that?"_

" _Hmph, you better make it, or else I'll tell Ino you stole her favourite hat and gave it to Shikaru."_

" _Eh, I didn't do that!"_

" _Oh, I know that… but, she doesn't."_

" _... Sasuke-kun, you're evil…"_

" _I just know how to win a battle, that's all."_

" _Pfft… battle, my ass…"_

" _Hey, hey, hey, look, Sakurai-kun! I got it!"_

" _Huh, that's great, Naruko. But, can you do it like this?"_

" _What? Sakurai-kun - how the Hell do you do that?"_

" _Hehehe, it's a secret."_

Naruko looked down at her watch, wanting to check the time, before realising she didn't own a watch and the clock on the wall of the Gym had been broken since last summer. Great, she needed to check the time so she could find out when Sakurai-kun was supposed to get here. What was she going to do now?

Naruko groaned, banging her head against the seat she was peeking under.

"I-is something wrong, Naruko-chan?"

She jumped when the question was asked, whipping around to slap whoever had snuck up on her when she realised it was just Hinata. ' _Hehe, I kind of forgot he was there…'_ She smiled sheepishly, her forefinger swiping under her nose, that was embarrassing. But, could she really be blamed for forgetting he was with her? Hinata was like a mouse, it was impossible to notice him!

"No - it's nothing. I just wish they had a clock in here…" She grumbled scowling at the broken wall clock. ' _Why did Kiba have to throw her baseball bat at it? She's so annoying!'_

"A clock? Do you need the time? I have a clock on my laptop if you need to know what time it is…" Hinata said his voice lowering with every word and ending in squeak (another thing that supported her belief that the boy was related to the mouse-family, normal boys don't squeak, y'know!). He tapped around on the keyboard of his laptop, a few moments later a digital clock covered the screen, big red numbers appearing against the black background.

"11:57… Damn it!" She cursed, "We got here too early." Her head fell into her hands and she gave out a loud groan. What the Hell? This totally sucked. She was supposed to be spying on Sakurai-kun, not sitting under the dirty bleaches watching boys run around in squares! _Not… that she didn't appreciate the view…_

"Oh, um… I'm sorry…" Hinata looked down, gloom engulfing his aura as he twiddled with his fingers, fidgeting nervously.

She blinked, looking at the boy. Why was he apologising? This wasn't his fault… She tilted her head observing him for a moment longer. ' _You know… he kinda looks like Sakurai-kun when he does that.'_ She thought as she analysed his expression. Red flushed his cheeks and the image was gone. ' _Pfft, who am I kidding? Sakurai-kun doesn't look like that. He's waaaay cuter when he sulks.'_ She giggled inwardly.

"Eh, don't worry about it, it's not your fault, y'know." She dismissed with a wave of her hand. "We'll just wait until he gets here. _Easy as a pie._ " She didn't notice that she had just spoken in English but even if she did it wouldn't have mattered to her. It wasn't like she was trying to impress anyone, after all, Sasuke was the only man she wanted.

Hinata stared at her, his expression perplexed, ' _Easy as pie? I wonder what that means… why does she say it like that?'_ It was safe to say that Hinata wasn't exactly familiar with foreign languages - aside from Mandarin, that is, he was fluent in Mandarin, but, English wasn't exactly something that he excelled in, unlike his little sister who was good at almost everything he wasn't.

"So… um, Naruko-chan?"

"What is it?"

"Wh-why are you spying on Sakurai-san?"

"Hmm…" Naruko hummed and remembered that she hadn't exactly gotten around to telling Hinata why they were spying on Sakurai-kun. She thought for a moment, did she need to tell Hinata why they were spying on Sakurai? She didn't think that was really necessary since he had just, sort of, tagged along with her when she was heading to the Gym. But maybe she should? Just so he didn't end up blabbing to anyone or mess up her plans.

She wouldn't put it past him. Boys _are_ clueless idiots, after all, they need a strong woman to lead them and tell them what to do.

She sighed and told him everything.

~xXx~

"Oh… That's… I couldn't imagine Sakurai-san going through something like that…" Hinata murmured.

"I know, right! And Kaka-sensei said there's nothing to worry about, y'know? But, I - I know there's something going on here… and I'm gonna figure out exactly what it is…"

"Na-Naruko-chan," Hinata said in awe of the girl. She was so strong and confident, her blue eyes hard and determined. She was a sight for the gods to see, so beautiful and perfect… "I-I'll help too!" He suddenly blurted out.

' _Oh, no! Why did I say that?!'_ He inwardly screamed.

"I-I mean - you p-probably don't need my help. I'll ju-just get in the wa-way… hehe…" He stammered to erase his mistake. _Take it back! Take it back!_ He looked away to hide the blush on his cheeks.

Naruko-chan blinked, her eyes owlish in the dim light, and then a dazzling smile stretched her lips. "Really? Thanks, Hinata." She laughed and pat his head.

He couldn't take it anymore. His body was on fire. The heat that resided in his cheeks spread throughout his body until it became too much. He was overheating, overwhelmed by all the sensations he was feeling, and promptly passed out. His head banging against the grimy floor with a dull thud.

"Hi-Hinata!" Naruko screamed before clapping her hand over her mouth.

She poked his side, remembering that she still needed to be quiet or else she'd get caught, "Hinata…" She repeated with a low hiss. He didn't move.

"Why are boys so pathetic?" Naruko sighed. It was a mystery she could never understand.

As she looked back out at the court to make sure they hadn't been caught spying her eyes zoned in on a head of pink hair and broad shoulders.

' _Sakurai-kun!'_ He was finally here. She quickly snatched her pen and notebook out of her bag and recorded the time and place. She would write down everything that happened today, watching Sakurai closely she vowed not to miss a single thing he did.

She would keep an eye on Sasuke as well. Just in case.

This was her mission. She would not fail.

 _Believe it._

~xXx~

It was an insult. A complete catastrophe.

Yamanaka Ino scoffed when she thought of the blue-eyed blonde-haired abomination that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stolen her favourite pen. Right out of her hand.

It wouldn't be such a big deal usually. Ino knew how clumsy Naruko could get, all she needed to do was break into her shoe locker at school and take it back. But, today, she was in a very bad mood. And she wanted her damn pen back! NOW!

She coughed into her hand, casting a quick glance at her surroundings. She wasn't superstitious, but, there were times when she felt like her thoughts were being read. Moments of paranoia that made her worry about what people thought of her. What they thought of the things she wanted. Like… her pen.

She wanted a lot of things actually. Popularity. Money. The latest trends. Friendship. Control. Beauty. Sasuke-kun's love… Her best friend's attention.

(That last one was only a brief afterthought in her mind. It's not like she spent hours agonising over ways to get Sakurai to take off his stupid cloak of gloom and hang out with her or anything… no. She didn't do that. The bulletin board covered in photographs and lists in her bedroom was just for decoration.)

Scoffing to herself Ino folded her arms over her chest. The tip of her shoe tapping on the flagstones that made up the patio of her favourite café. She was plotting.

"Will you cut it out already? You're giving me a headache." Across from her Nara Shikaru complains, she's sitting at one of the small tables playing with a teacup. She wears the typical expression of one who doesn't care.

"Why are you whining?! I'm the one who got attacked by that tramp!"

"All she did was take your pen, Ino, it's not like she was declaring war on you or anything. Seriously... you're such a drag sometimes."

Choosing to ignore the insult Ino looked away, focusing on a pot of pink flowers in the corner. "That wasn't just any pen... That was my favourite pen..." She said, "Sakurai gave it to me when we were kids." She whispered under her breath.

"Ugh. No wonder you're being so annoying." Shikaru mutters, Ino glares at her and folds her arms over her chest. "Why are you always trying to butt into his life? Can't you just accept that he's growing up? You can't protect him forever."

"Tch. As if you could ever understand the feelings of my precious Sakurai... He's a delicate boy." Memories of the sweet little boy who was always hiding in the shadows resurfaced in her mind. She basked in the precious memories of their childhood and stopped when she noticed Shikaru's incredulous expression. "And, anyway this isn't about Sakurai. It's about Naruko." She huffed, "Where do you think she would have gone?"

"How would I know, I'm not her babysitter."

"You are her friend."

"Barely..."

"Ugh… You're no help at all." Ino groaned.

"Look, if you want your pen back just wait until she goes to school on Monday. She'll probably put it in her shoe locker and forget about it." Shikaru shrugged presenting her problem with the easiest solution. It was simple, really, since Naruko's shoe locker was one of the few that used a dial instead of lock and key, and everybody in the school already knew her number-code due to her loudmouthed tendencies.

Shikaru doesn't understand why Ino won't just sit down and be patient for once.

"I can't wait! Weren't you listening? This is important to me, and, as one of my best friends, that makes it important to you as well." Ino argued, "So, get up and help me find that wench before she does something with my precious pen!"

"Huh," Choji opened the door just as they were about to leave, "Where are you guys going?"

"Choji! You've gotta help me-"

"Choji!" Ino interrupted joyfully. Shikaru glared at her. Don't bring him into your schemes. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Really?"

"Yes, now you can help us-"

"I never agreed to this, Ino."

"We're going to look for Naruko. Have you seen her?" She gave him her fiercest glare, one that probed through his mind and picked through his memories. He had never liked that look, it was always too invasive and made him feel like his soul was being kicked out of his body.

"Well… hmm…"

"What is it? Come on, tell me."

"Well, it's just that… I saw her a while ago with Hinata."

"Hinata!" Both Ino and Shikaru gasped in shock, although with Shikaru it was more out of exasperation. "Why would she be with Hinata? She hates boys."

"I don't know, I was just passing them by on the way back from the Academy." Choji defended himself. Even he had been surprised to see them together. It was no secret that Uzumaki Naruko hated men (which is ironic seeing as how both of her closest friends are boys), so seeing her with Hinata had been quite a shock.

"We have to get to the bottom of this…" Ino murmured. She knew what Naruko was like. If she's hanging out with Hinata all of a sudden there's a high possibility that she's only using him for something. "Come on, Investigation Squad -"

"Investigation - what?" Shikaru grimaced.

"Let's go!"

~xXx~

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** I'm going to admit I kind of forgot that I had already finished this chapter - I only noticed it a few hours ago and realised I should upload it. So, this is Part 2 of Chapter 4: We watch.

 **Quick Question:** If you were best friend's with the 'love of your life' how would you behave around him? I want to make these relationships look realistic but fictional, and I don't really have knowledge in this particular field.

Thank you, read, comment and enjoy, or don't, your choice.


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